My husband and I started off our relationship with a whole lot of long distance, and I’m a firm believer that if it weren’t for those experiences, we wouldn’t be where we are today.

Lots of people were worried that we wouldn’t “make it” because we were apart from each other the majority of our relationship in the early years.

We are so much stronger because of the decisions we have made, and there will never be feelings of animosity or regret that we were held back.

When our careers took us to different locations, we went. Not a day goes by that I regret being on different continents or in different time zones.

Being in a relationship should help you grow with each other, but also be supportive and help you grow within yourself.

For me, I have always been a lover of alone time and pairing that with travel has opened up my eyes to so many different, and incredible experiences.

Take a look at what I have found out during my solo trips while in a relationship.

Benefits of Solo Travel While in a Relationship

You are in charge

I’m known to be on the go. When I say I want to be out the door at a certain time, I mean it. I hate having to wait for people. I’m pretty selfish when it comes to my time. So when I get to decide what time I will catch a bus, when I will eat, what time I wake up… it’s absolute bliss that it’s all on me. And I can do what I want when I want. You don’t need to consider what your travel partner is feeling like either. It’s time for you to be selfish! My husband and I are pretty good with being on the same schedule, but being solo I can literally go whenever I want. No more waiting? Yes, please!

Alone Time

I love, love, LOVE my alone time. Ask anyone who knows me. I seriously jump up and down when I realize I will have a night to myself. That’s not to say I don’t love my husband and being around him- I just really enjoy being in my own head and spending time with myself. When I travel solo, I get to have as much, or as little, alone time that I need. Those are the times when I get my most thinking done.

Independence

It is super important to not lose yourself when you get in a relationship. You need to continue being your authentic self, and if your authentic self is like me- you want to feel independent. Taking a solo trip will help you remember that you are an individual and can continue to explore by yourself. You don’t need to feel “trapped” or always feel dependent on someone else. If your significant other doesn’t understand why you want to go alone, you will need to talk to them about how being independent will help your relationship. Chucky and I are always supporting one another and understanding that sometimes you just need to take time for yourself. Traveling solo means you only have yourself to rely on, so you will learn to develop new skills such as navigation, transportation, and working through language barriers.

Meeting New People

For some reason when Chucky and I travel, people assume because we are a couple we don’t want to be bothered. However, when you are solo, people are more open to introducing and socializing with you. It’s sad to think about, but I understand because there are times when I do that, too! Being a solo traveler you meet other solo travelers who are just as eager and excited to meet new people as you are.

Forces You to Get Social

On the same subject as meeting new people, being solo forces you to get out of your comfort zone and meet people. I can easily rely on Chucky when we are traveling together, but when it’s just me- I have to go out and introduce myself or else I won’t get that social aspect from traveling. It’s especially important for me because I’m a pretty big introvert- so when I realize I need to make some friends and socialize, I have to be the one to do it.

Heightened Senses

When I am solo, I notice my spidey senses come out stronger than ever. I am always exploring with my guard up making sure I don’t get into any unsafe situations- so with that, I notice WAY more than if I were to be wandering the streets with my husband. I see more details of the areas I’m in, smell stronger, and see people who I wouldn’t normally notice. It’s crazy to think, but I seriously see a completely different world when I am by myself and it gives me a sense of appreciation for being able to bring all those visuals and senses home and in my writing.

Distance Makes the Heart Grow Fonder

Ah yes, the good ol’ saying “Distance makes the heart grow fonder”. In this case- there is no better saying. As much as we love our significant others, sometimes we just need space. Traveling solo really helps with that because not only do we start to miss each other all over again, but there are some incredible stories we can tell each other and have new conversations to bring to the table. Sometimes just having the same old conversations about how our days went is nothing compared to talking about the time I had to hitch a ride to a community garden run by an ex- Buddhist monk. Am I right?

Next time you start to feel guilty about wanting to take a solo trip, think about the benefits that come from it. We should no longer need to feel guilty about expressing our individuality! Support one another and be excited! You need to explore a little bit on your own. Anywhere from a day hike, to a weekend getaway, all the way to an adventure abroad. I guarantee when you come back you will be a little more grateful for one another.

As many of you may come to find out, Chucky and I are gear obsessed individuals. The difference between us and a “gear-head” is that we aren’t trying to upgrade every chance we get.

We try and purchase the best items once, and stay with them until they fall apart. This goes hand in hand with keeping our home, and closets, the minimalist way we like them.

So as you can guess- we do a lot, A LOT, of research before you purchase any item. Before we headed out on our 3-month backpacking Europe trip (in the WINTER), we knew we needed a bag that can stand the weather, carry all our winter gear, and keep us from looking like, well, American tourists.

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This bad boy fit the bill perfectly. It is sleek and fit in nicely with the urban travel that we did. Our outdoor backpacking packs would not have been as inconspicuous, with the neon colors, straps all over the place, and the many pockets on the outside.

The 45L Tortuga Outbreaker is the way to go if you are planning on packing everything into a carry-on, which we did.

Here are the top reasons why we absolutely love the Tortuga Outbreaker Backpack, and why you should consider one if you are planning on doing a long trip, or just want to update to a quality bag for weekend trips:

Pros:

The Design

Beautiful, and sleek, with just the logo on the outside. I never felt like we looked like backpackers during our entire 3 months in Europe because the pack blended in so well. Not to mention, the fabric is heavy duty and made out sail cloth that makes it waterproof and stands up to tough conditions.

Suitcase Backpack

Just like it sounds, when you open the inside, it opens like a suitcase and even has pockets on the side as well as two mesh pouches on the top to help store items. Talk about a dream for the lovers of organization (cough **My OCD husband** cough)

Laptop Sleeve

I absolutely loved the separate compartment closest to my back where I can slip my computer into the fleece-lined sleeve. A cozy home for my laptop, and no fear that someone could snatch it away. PLUS- lots of pockets to keep your charger, kindle, and other electronics.

The “Business” Section

The front compartment can carry your pens, notebook, camera, and other items that you would keep on your desk. It was a great function to have for easy access.

Lockable Zippers

All the zippers have loops to make them lockable, which is a fantastic feature to have while traveling! Being able to put your bag under the bus without worrying someone is going to open it and take things makes traveling so much easier.

The only issue we had, which is no fault of the backpack, is that Chuckys bag got broken into while flying from Croatia back to the US. Someone had taken pliers and ripped the locks open… it was a sad day 🙁 But again, that had nothing to do with the bag, just the terrible thieves that encountered the bag.

Shoulder and Waist Band

The shoulder straps can be adjusted up and down by a velcro latch on the back. Adjust based on your height and how much weight you want on your hips vs. shoulders. The waistband can also be tightening based on your body type. There are two pouches on the waistband that I put my phone and wallet in because it was easy to access and close to my body for protection. The back and shoulder straps are padded for extreme comfort.

Carry-On Size

Did I mention this bag is deemed carry-on acceptable?? However, you need to double check the weight limit for some smaller airlines. While it meets carry-on dimensions, some airlines (Looking at you, RyanAir) will make you check the bag if the weight is over the limit. Since the bag is 45L, you can fit a lot! You should always double check the airline requirements before heading out to make sure you don’t get any surprises.

The Company

We are HUGE on company missions, and this one is no stranger to giving back and giving the people great quality items, not just trying to make a profit.

Cons:

With everything, there are downsides…

The Fitted Waist Belt

This might be because I am used to outdoor backpacking packs, but I felt like the adjustable waistbelt for the Tortuga pack managed to loosen up a lot as I wore it around. It wasn’t a big deal at all, but it did get annoying at times when we were walking around the city and I felt like the strap wasn’t staying put.

Side Pouch

Although a great feature, we had to literally shove our water bottles in it because the pouch was so tight. I would have liked it to give a little more than it did. But then again, it was great for putting little items in knowing they were secure.

No Way to Stow the Straps

We didn’t have a problem with this since we checked the bag in with us, but it would be a nice to have a way to stow the straps away when not in use.

Final Thoughts:

The pack fit all our needs while traveling abroad, and keeps serving its purpose when we go on weekend trips. It does have a hefty price, but we believe it is completely worth the price.

So if you are ready to purchase the Tortuga Outbreaker Backpack, click the link to take steps toward buying a gift that keeps on giving!

If you have any questions and want to learn more about this bag, feel free to ask away!

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